Sep
23
When Kristina let me know that she had bid on and won our portrait session at the Junior League auction, I was thrilled. I had been working with Kristina on a volunteer project and knew she would be great to photograph. After talking with her, I was even more excited to meet her family. They did not disappoint. Her parents are warm and engaging. Her brothers are full of energy. And her fiance is a total sweetheart. Plus this crew really, truly enjoys spending time together.
We chose the beach for the backdrop of the family portrait. This crew basically lives on the beach- hanging out, sailing, relaxing. We started off our session with the more formal portraits by the cabana.
When I talked with Kathy, Kristina’s mom, about how the family spent their time on the beach, the first word out of her mouth was "Kubb." I was a little confused as I had never heard that word before. As it turns out, kubb or koob is a favorite game in Sweden. It’s a combination of chess and bowling or croquet. I have to admit, I still don’t fully understand, but honestly, it was such fun to watch. Everyone was definitely into the game and it illicited shouts of triumph and joy, as well as truly genuine smiles.
The twins fooling around. There was a lot of that.
The "kids" celebrating a game well-played.
Then we got back to the business at hand. Loving the crew on the cliff wall. Seriously humorous.
Dave put together this triple panorama of the crew.
We were losing our beach to high tide so we popped on down for a bit of sand and sea.
Sometimes we get a little silly. Which is fun.
But more importantly, everyone relaxes again, and the smiles become completely natural.
One of my absolute favorites from the session.
Thank you to Kathy, Peter, Kristina, Matt, Christian and Pierson. We had such a great time with you on this beautiful afternoon.
Definitely check out the slideshow for more from this portrait session at the beach.
Aug
12
With absolutely perfect light and such a stunning couple, not to mention the picturesque scenery of Nahant, we felt unbelievably lucky to be photographing Loula and Massimo’s engagement session. They wanted to celebrate their love of the beach during their e-session and came up with the long stretches of beach, as well as the 40 Steps area in this north shore town. Wow!!!!! Neither Dave or I had been to Nahant, though he had always wanted to go, and really, truly such a stunning place. Better still, Loula and Massimo were completely at ease in what is clearly their natural habitat. So without further ado, meet Loula and Massimo…
Loula was great about getting involved and sharing ideas for their session. One of her brainstorms was to bring along a couple of magazines- Psychology Today for her and Sports Illustrated for him- to set the scene for what they mostly do at the beach- relax. I absolutely love that. And I love this scene- looks like a beach in Italy. Perfect as Massimo is Italian, no?!
I absolutely can not wait for their wedding at the State Room this fall.
Honestly, you have to check out a few more. We just couldn’t put all our favorites on the blog. So definitely take a look at their slideshow too.
May
03
Hooray! Hooray! I get to share the rest of the images from Selina and Greg’s wedding. This was the first wedding of our season and what a way to start off the year- a fabulous destination wedding at the stunning Palms Hotel in Miami Beach with a truly wonderful couple. Selina and Greg are so full of joy and vibrance and love and they are not afraid to show it. Honestly, I keep falling for them. I can’t help it.
So allow me to let them inspire you and infuse your day with joy. We begin at the beginning.
Preparing for the big day, Selina was relaxed and happy.
Of course, it didn’t hurt that this was the view from her window. Even on a stormy day, Miami Beach is gorgeous.
Selina’s mom helped her put on her veil. So beautiful.
Selina and Greg created amazing atmosphere for their wedding. I can’t wait to share more details and inspiration; everything worked together beautifully. But for now, here’s just a peek from the ceremony decor.
Walking down the aisle on her dad’s arm.
She was literally jaw-dropping gorgeous. Can’t blame Greg for this reaction upon seeing his bride for the first time on their wedding day.
Bringing in family traditions, Selina and Greg jumped the broom at the culmination of the ceremony.
Relaxing with her bridesmaids after the ceremony. I love their dresses- very fresh and flirty and tropical. Best of all, they are totally wearable.
A hint of what’s to come from the reception details and inspiration. Stunning.
I love how Dave captured this image from their first dance. For me, it tells the whole story of this moment, but still allows for mystery. Very romantic.
Later dances included the father-daughter dance and mother-son dance. Greg’s mom looks so happy.
The party got underway. And it was quite a party. In fact, Selina told me this group had so enjoyed the destination aspect of the wedding, everyone arrived a few days before the wedding. They had all been hanging out together until at least 2 am each night. This group was totally up for some fun times.
So cute how the girls formed a circle around Selina.
On the dance floor. Selina and Greg know how to have a good time together.
So it’s no surprise that during the cake cutting, Selina had a plan to play a trick on her new husband. She got him as close as she could. Note her right hand.
Then sneak attack. She hit him with cake on the face.
Laughter abounded- cause that’s just how these two roll- and of course a "make-up" kiss.
Just had to finish with one of my absolute favorite images. A totally natural, candid moment of pure joy, love and tenderness.
I absolutely couldn’t blame you if you can’t get enough of Selina and Greg and their gorgeous destination wedding. So definitely check out their Newlywed Session where we did a little Trash the Dress action or their slideshow.
And of course, we have to thank all of the professionals who helped to make their wedding great:
Wedding Venue: The Palms Hotel and Spa, Miami Beach, Florida
Wedding coordinator: Helen Diaz from Modern Events
Ceremony Officiant: Father Frank Fagan
Make-up artist: Miriam B.
Floral Design: Ever After Floral Design
Cake: Elegant Temptations by Rosie Cunill
DJ: Exquisite Sound Productions by Raquel Salcedo
Another huge thank you to Sarah and Bryan for introducing us to Selina and Greg. We are so glad we can continue to be a part of your family’s celebrations.
Most of all, we want to thank Selina and Greg for including us in your amazing wedding. We are thrilled we could capture these memories for you.
Apr
23
Heading into the weekend, I figure we could all use a little dreamy beachside gorgeous-ness. And Selina and Greg found just the spot for their destination wedding at The Palms Hotel & Spa in Miami Beach, Florida. Just sharing a few favorites from their newlywed session the day after their wedding.
Alas, it rains even in paradise, so we started off with portraits around the hotel. Fortunately the hotel is beau-ti-ful so we had no problem finding amazing locations around every corner. Plus Selina and Greg would look good anywhere. They totally made it easy for us.
We did jump from the veranda terrace to a little jungle-like oasis by the pool without getting too, too wet.
Then over to the bar with appropriate grass thatched roof.
Snuggling up among all the greenery…
and by The Palms gate.
As soon as there was a break in the rain, we headed out to the beach.
You might guess that Dave and I were a bit in love with the lifeguard stand. As it was raining, the lifeguard didn’t have a ton to do that day and was totally at ease with us playing on his perch. All of the stands along Miami Beach are decorated with Art Deco flair, but the one by The Palms just shouts sun and fun. How lucky is that!
We couldn’t miss the opportunity for a little Trash the Dress action, but only a little. Selina and Greg were flying off to their honeymoon that afternoon and we couldn’t have their baggage weigh more than the limit. So they couldn’t get too wet, but that didn’t stop them from taking on the From Here to Eternity moment and adding their own flare to it.
Oops. Didn’t expect that wave.
Yup, even with the stormy clouds, the view was spectacular.
So glad we were able to venture to Miami Beach with Selina and Greg. Can’t wait to share more from their fabulous destination wedding! More to come soon from the ceremony, the reception, the family and friends celebrating.
Jan
13
Marla and Shawn had a stunning destination wedding at Hans Fahden Winery in Napa Valley, California. They had many of the traditional elements and celebrated in good style, but the day after their wedding, they wanted to spice things up a bit. So we did a very special newlywed session in the Marin Headlands and along the California Coast.
First stop, Point Bonita Lighthouse- so fun- everyone was cheering and so gracious, allowing the newlyweds to cross the bridge at the head of the line.
When walking back up the hill from the lighthouse, we noticed this little path in the grasses and a fabulous view of the Golden Gate Bridge. We had to stop and enjoy the scenery.
We had parked by this old bunker. It was a great place to play around for a bit. All of the old, rusty metal provided great texture and contrast to Marla’s softness.
We concluded our tour at Rodeo Beach for a little wave action and an opportunity to Trash the Dress.
Yes, they got wet and yes, it was very, very cold. These two were such troopers though. I was amazed!
We really got so lucky with the weather and the day turned out to be perfect. If you want to see more from their TTD session and their wedding, definitely take a look at their slideshow, their sneak preview, and their scoop.
Feb
14
We wanted to share a little of the joy we get to experience on a regular basis as wedding and portrait photographers. So here’s our tribute to all kinds of kisses and celebrations of love from 2008. We were so lucky to be a part of these joyous moments- simply inspirational.
And now on to the smooching….
Read More»
Sep
06
So it has been a few days since last I wrote, but I did have good cause for the delay. Dave and I spent the last few days celebrating our third anniversary. And for this super special celebration, we did something I have been wanting to do since the fall after I met Dave. We backpacked on the Lost Coast in Northern California.
Read More»
